C971.GO 


VERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII 
00032761583 


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be  taken  from  the 
Library  building. 


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Charlotte  ik 
Picture 

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STEPHEN  B.  WEEKS 

CUSS  OF  1886;  PHD  THE  JOHNS  HOPKINS  IMVERSJTY 

LMBIRA1RY 

OF  THE 

UMVERSIHY  OF  N«I  CAROLINA 
HE  WEEKS  COLLECTION 

OF 

CAJROLINMNA 


•  IdO 


MISS  ALEXANDER'S  BOOKLET. 

Charlotte      in      PlctuWi      ami        Prose 
Is   a    Most      Attractive      Publication 
— Miss  Julia  Alexander   Has   Issued 
a  Booklet  that   Will   Interest    Every 
Native  of  This  City. 
"GftarLottte    in    Picture    and    Prose," 
by    Mtss   Julia    M.  Alexander,  is  a  hand- 
some   booklet,    giving     "an      historical 
and   descriptive   sketch    of   Charlotte." 
In     sending      bill       this      publication, 
which    is    from    the    Blanchard    Press, 
of    New     York,     Miss    Alexander     does 
herself    and   -her      town       credit.      The 
printing',    the   writing   and    the   pictures 
are    excellent.    In    general    appearance 
the   booklet   is  not   unlike    Burr-Mcln- 
tosh     the      beautiful       and       attractive 
magazine   published   by  the   Blanenard 
Press     The    cover     leaf    is       decorated 
witta    hornets'    nests    and     pine    cones. 
The    frontispiece       is      a       picture       of 
Queen   Charlotte,    of   Mecklenburg,    for 
whom    Charlotte    is    named. 

Among  the  views  given  are:  Sugar 
Creek  Cemetery,  Sugar  Creek  Church, 
Alexander  Rock  House,  built  by  Heze- 
kiah  Alexander:  East  Avenue.  The 
Osborne  Oaks,  The  Old  Cemetery, 
First  Presbyterian  Church,  Views  of 
First  Presbyterian  Church-Yard, 
Views  of  Latta  Park.  Monument  Com- 
memorating Mclntyre  Skirmish,  Mon- 
ument Marking  Birthplace  of  Presi- 
dent James  K.  Polk,  the  Old  Court 
House  North  Tryon  Street,  the  Set- 
wyn  Hotel,  United  States  Assay  Of-  | 
rice.  Views  of  Vance  Park.  Lake  at  j 
Country  Club,  and  many  other  pretty 
views    and    scones.  „ 

In  her  story  of  Charlotte  Miss 
I  Alexander  has  used  historical  facts. 
I  Her  style  is  attractive  and  forceful. 
I  No  woman  of  the  county  is  better 
1  prepared  to  do  such  work.  She  is  ed- 
|  ucated,  cultured  and  well  informed. 
Her  people  have  helped  to  make  the 
countv  what  it  is. 

Charlotte  in  Picture  and  Prose  will 
be  put  on  sale  at  Stone  &.  Barringer's 
book  store.  The  first  issue  is  5,000 
copies,  which  will  sell  for  50  cents 
each.  One.  could  not  select  a  more 
acceptable  present  to  a  native  of 
Charlotte  than  Miss  Alexander's  book- 
let. The  Greater  Charlotte  Club  could 
not  send  out  more  attractive  reading 
matter. 

Miss  Alexander  deserves  the  thanks, 
as  well  as  the  patronage,  of  the  entire 
community.  She  has  devoted  time 
and  expended  money  to  produce  this 
meritorious   booklet. 


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or— 


QUEEN    CHARLOTTE 

Wife  of  George  III,  King  of  England.      In  honor  of  Queen  Charlotte  and  her  former 

home,  Mecklenburg-Strelitr  in  Germany,  the  City  of  Charlotte    and 

County  of  Mecklenburg,  North  Carolina,  were  named. 


7E/7/^     c*n^/j  jU*~**^A\ 


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CHARLOTTE 
IN  PICTURE  AND  PROSE 


AN  HISTORICAL   and  DESCRIPTIVE 

SKETCH   of 
CHARLOTTE,  NORTH  CAROLINA 

By  JULIA  M.  ALEXANDER 


With  Illustrations  of  Places  of  Interest  and 
Scenes  in  and  About  Charlotte 


"Those  who  do  not  treasure  up  the  memory  of  their  ancestors 
do  not  deserve  to  be  remembered  by  posterity." 

—  Sir  Edmund  Burke 


"Scenes  must  be  beautiful  which  daily  viewed 
Please  daily,  and  whose  novelty  survives 
Long  knowledge  and  the  scrutiny  of  years." 

— Cowper 


Copyright,  1906. 
by  Julia  M.  Alexander.  Charlotte.  N.  C. 


c? 


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CHARLOTTE 
IN  PICTURE  AND  PROSE 


T 


HE  Pi  ea- 
rn out  Re- 
gion  of 
North  Carolina 
bears  an  interesting 
relation  to  the  Old 
World;  through  the 
veins  of  its  people 
flow  the  same  strains 
of  blood  that  course 
in  the  veins  of  Euro- 
pean nations,  and 
the  very  names  re- 
echoing- throughout 
its  borders  link  it 
with  more  than  one 
country  of  Europe. 

Italy  has  given  the 
name     Piedmont   to 

I  our  mountainous  re- 

gion because  of  its 
likeness  to  her  own 
sunny  slopes.  The 
principality  of  Pied- 
^  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^_  Northern 

Italy,  lying  along  the 
foot  of  the  Alps,  is  a  country  of  unusual  beauty,  and  was  included 
among  the  possessions  of  Amadeus  V,  surnamed  the  Great,  Count 
of  Savoy.  By  him  it  was  granted  to  his  brother,  Thomas  II,  whose 
son  Thomas  III  became  founder  of  the  line  bearing  the  titles,  Lords 
of  Piedmont.  The  foot-hills  of  the  lower  Appalachian  system  so 
closely  resemble  this  portion  of  Italy  in  contour  and  climate  that  it 
has  been  given  the  name  of  the  Piedmont  Region. 

The  climate  has  also  been  frequently  likened  to  that  of  Southern 
France;  and  this  comparison  is  doubly  appropriate  since  the  Caro- 
linas  were  so-called,  in  1563,  by  French  settlers  of  the  eastern 
borders,  in  honor  of  their  king,  Charles  (Carolus)  IX. 

Germany  and  England  divide  honors  in  having  bestowed  upon 
county  and  town  the  names  Mecklenburg  and  Charlotte.  In  the 
year  1761,  the  German  Princess,  Charlotte  of  Mecklenburg- 
Strelitz,  became  the  wife  of  George  III,  King  of  England;  this 
marriage,  which  caused  much  rejoicing  throughout  the  British  do- 
main, took  place  about  the  time  a  new  county  was  being  formed 
in  the  state  of  North  Carolina,  and  as  compliment  to  the  young 
queen    the    county    received    the    name    of    Mecklenburg    for    her 


Sugar  Creek  Cemetery 
Sugar  Creek  Church 


home  in  Germany,  and  the  county-seat  was  called  Charlotte,  be- 
ing also  frequently  known  as  the  "Queen  City."  This  expression 
of  loyalty  to  the  mother-country,  from  subjects  so  far  distant, 
was  doubtless  pleasing  to  the  king  who  little  dreamed  that  within 
a  few  years  their  allegiance  would  be  boldly  withdrawn. 

This  change  in  sentiment  was  due  to  the  fact  that  Scotland's 
sons  had  found  in  this  same  Piedmont  region  a  country  whose 
rugged  beauty,  bore  a  strong  resemblance  to  their  former  home; 
and  here  amid  its  hills  and  forests  they  sought  that  freedom  of 
thought  and  action  which  in  Scotland  had  been  denied  them.  To 
this  section  of  America,  about  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury, came  many  settlers,  who  were  Scotch  by  birth,  and  from  a 
temporary  residence  in  Ireland,  designated  Scctch-Irish.  From 
New  Hampshire,  Pennsylvania,  and  Maryland,  following  the 
mountains  and  valleys  of  the  Appalachian  Range,  they  moved  south- 
ward, and  settled  in  Virginia,  North  Carolina,  and  South  Caro- 
lina. 

The  county  of 
M'ecklenburg 
w  h  i  c  h  originally 
embraced  Cabar- 
rus, Lincoln,  Gas- 
ton, and  a  part  of 
Union,  in  addition 
to  all  of  the  pres- 
ent county,  occu- 
pies a  position  in 
the  southwestern 
part  of  North  Car- 
olina ;  it  now  con- 
tains 680  square 
miles,  and  is  divid- 
ed into  fifteen 
townships.  The 
city  and  county 
combine  a  popula- 
tion of  70,000. 

Cultivation  of 
cotton  is  the  lead- 
i  n  g  agricultural 
pursuit,  though 
corn,     wheat,     and 

other  small  grains  are  raised  successfully.  Fruits  of  almost  every 
kind  flourish,  adding  materially  to  the  income  of  the  farmer ;  while 
truck-farming,  dairying  and  poultry-raising  are  among  the  most 
profitable  industries.  In  Mecklenburg  County  conditions  of  climate 
and  soil  are  such  that  anything  may  be  grown  that  is  raised  between 
Southern  Alabama  and  Canada.  The  northern  line  of  cotton-raising 
in  the  United   States  passes   about  fifty  miles  north  of  Charlotte. 


Alexander  RocK  House.     Built  by  HezeKiah  Alexander 
(Five  miles  from  Charlotte) 


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The  Souti-  contains  400  millions  of  acres  in  the  cotton 
belt  proper,  of  which  300  millions  are  especially  suitable  for  cotton- 
raising.  The  climate  of  this  section  of  country  is  greatly  modified 
by  the  Gulf  Stream,  which  has  much  to  do  with  the  success  of  cotton- 
growing.  The  rains  coming  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  in  the  spring 
and  summer  aid  in  the  raising  of  the  crop  ;  while  in  the  fall  the  winds 
change  to  the  west  and  north,  giving  usually  a  dry  season  for  the 
harvest.  A  rainy  season,  drought,  or  single  severe  frost,  would  tend 
to  greatly  decrease  the  production.  At  present  32  million  acres  are 
in  cultivation  of  cotton  in  the  United  States,  and  produce  three- 
fourths  of  the  crop  of  the  world. 

With  an  elevation  of  760  feet  above  sea-level,  free  from  marked 
extremes  of  heat  or  cold,  and  sheltered  by  the  guardian  peaks  of 
the  Alleghany  Mountains  from  severe  storms,  that  visit  the  interior. 
Charlotte,  judged  from  a  climatic  standpoint,  occupies  a  most  favor- 
able   position.      Throughout 

as      ^■HHHHHHM| 

shown  by  the  United  States 
Weather  Bureau,  is  generally 
mild  and  equable,  with  an  an- 
nual mean  temperature  of  60 
degrees,  and  prevailing 
southwesterly  winds.  Pe- 
riods of  severe  cold  in  win- 
ter are  of  short  duration ; 
spring  generally  opens  early, 
and  killing  frosts  are  rarely 
known  before  November. 
The  spring  and  autumn  es- 
pecially are  seasons  of  rare 
beauty  in  Charlotte ;  flowers, 
shrubs,  and  trees  in  number- 
less variety  and  abundance 
add  to  the  attractiveness  of 
scenery   and   give   unceasing 

pleasure  to  the  lover  of  nature.  With  manifold  advantages  of 
climate  and  location,  Charlotte  enjoys  an  atmosphere  at  once  bracing, 
temperate,  and  healthful. 

The  topography  of  the  surrounding  country  shows  a  broken  and 
picturesque  land  whose  forest-crowned  hills,  fertile  lowlands,  and 
winding  streams  present  scenes  of  ever-changing  interest.  To  this 
genial  clime  with  its  fertile  soil  came  the  early  settlers  of  the  18th 
century  to  find  a  land  of  plenty  but  not,  however,  one  of  peace.  The 
story  of  the  pioneers  in  Mecklenburg  County  is  similar  to  that  of  the 
first  settlers  in  other  sections  of  this  New  World,  whose  inviting  hand 
beckoned  so  alluringly  across  the  waters  and  drew  to  its  shores  from 
the  Old  World  stalwart  sons  and  courageous  daughters — men  and 
women  who  were  to  become  the  founders  of  a  mighty  nation.  In  dense 
virgin  forests  lurked  the  Indian,  resentful  of  the  white  man's  intrusion 


The  Osborne  OaK 

(More  than  100  years  old) 


and  ever  ready  to  surprise  and  destroy  the  colonist  in  hi>  newly-made 
home.  Dark  deeds  of  bloodshed  and  death  were  wreaked  in  cruel 
vengeance  upon  the  whites  in  these  primitive  days  of  settlement :  and 
in  return  the  strong  hand  of  the  settler  dealt  death  and  destruction, 
gradually  forcing  the  red  man  westward  until  the  land  was  freed 
from  Indian  depredation.  The  early  settlers  of  Charlotte  and  its 
vicinity  were  principally  Scotch-Irish,  who  came  with  broad-ax  and 
sword  to  open  the  way  for  liberty  and  civilization,  bringing  also  that 
indomitable  love  for  civic  and  religious  freedom  which  still  remains 
preeminent  among  the  characteristics  of  their  descendants.  Colonial 
life  was  by  no  means  luxurious  nor  exempt  from  toil;  land  was  to 
be  cleared  and  tilled  ;  homes,  churches,  and  schools  to  be  established, 
and  all   the  while  unceasing  vigilance  was  necessary  to  ward   off 


attacks  from  the  Indians.  Such  conditions  necessitated  years  of  toil 
and  hardship,  of  continued  activity,  and  patient  endurance.  To-day 
a  prosperous  and  happy  land  bears  witness  to  their  zeal ;  and  where 
the  fathers  toiled  so  earnestly,  the  children  have  entered  upon  the 
fruitage  of  their  labors. 

Years  passed  and  the  country  became  more  thickly  populated ;  the 
village  of  Charlotte  being  in  1768  legally  incorporated;  in  1774  it 


was  made  the  permanent  county-seat  of  Mecklenburg".     Though  the 
population  was  small,  and  its  homes  of  a  primitive  order  with  con- 
veniences and  luxuries  almost  unknown,  Charlotte,  as  the  central 
point    of    a    large 
section  of  country, 
was    even    at    this 
early   date   a  place 
of  no  small  impor- 
tance.     The   cross- 
ing of  two  county 
roads    formed    the 
center    of    the    vil- 
lage,   and    at   their 
intersection      stood 
the      court-house. 
These     cross-roads 
were    dignified    by 
the  names  of  Trade 
and    Tyron    streets 
— the     former    ob- 
viously    from     the 
amount  of  business 
transacted        along 
its   way,  the  latter 
in    honor    of    Wil- 
liam Tyron  a  Colo- 
nial Governor  of  North  Carolina.    To-day  these  avenues  extend  for 
several  miles  and  are  the  city's  most  prominent  thoroughfares^  their 


First    Presbyterian  Church 


View  of  First  Presbyterian  Churchyard 


Views  of   Latta  ParK 


intersection,  which  is  known  as  "Independence  Square,"  ranks  among 
the  most  historic  spots  in  America. 

The  coming  storm  of  the  American  Revolution  was  foreshadowed 
throughout  the  country  for  some  time  before  its  actual  culmination. 
Oppressive  taxation,  unjust  administration  of  laws,  and  an  increas- 
ingly tyrannical  government,  all  tended  to  arouse  within  a  liberty- 
loving  and  fearless  people  that  spirit  which  in  the  Old  World  had 
made  martyrs  of  their  kind  for  religion's  sake — which  in  the  Xew 
World  had  nerved  them  to  face  untold  dangers  and  even  death  for  the 
preservation  of  home  and  family.  The  people  of  Charlotte  and 
Mecklenburg,  known  as  a  law-abiding  and  conservative  people,  were 


Monument  commemorating  Mclntyre  SKirmish.    Seven  miles  from  Charlotte 

(Erected  by  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution) 


deeply  aggrieved  by  the  oppression  of  English  rule,  and  realized 
that  their  dearly-earned  rights  were  fast  being  infringed.  The 
Battle  af  Alamance  on  May  17,  1771,  and  other  events  of  a  like 
character,  gave  rapid  development  to  independence  of  thought,  which 
finally  resulted  in  the  bold  action  taken  by  the  citizens  of  Mecklen- 
burg County,  in  May,  1775. 

Pursuant  to  the  order  of  Col.  Thomas  Polk,  who  was  a  leader  in 
military  and  civic  affairs,  a  convention  consisting  of  two  delegates 
to  be  elected  from  each  militia  district  of  the  county,  was  called  to 
meet  in  the  court-house  of  Charlotte  on  the  19th  day  of  May,  1775. 
At  previous  meetings  of  the  militia  companies  the  sentiment  of  the 
people  had  been  voiced  with  no  uncertainty  in  opposition  to  the 
tyranny  of  England ;  and  it  was  in  accordance  with  the  wishes  of 
the  community  that  this  gathering  of  representative  men  was  called 


C 


in  order  that  the  existing  state  of  affairs  might  be  fully  discussed; 
and   if  it   were   found   advisable,   to   take  action   in   regard  thereto. 

Abraham      Alexander     W  a  S 


elected  chairman  of  the  con- 
vention   and   John    McKnitt 

Alexander,  secretary.  I  ireat 
interest  was  manifested  in 
the  meeting  for  it  was  evi- 
dent thai  recent  proclama- 
tions issued  by  tile  King  ami 
Governor  g  a  v  e  sufficient 
grounds  to  the  people  for  the 
assertion  of  their  rights.  Ad- 
dresses were  made  by  prom- 
inent citizens  before  the  dele- 
gates  and  also  a  large  num- 
ber of  Other  persons  who  had 
gathered  to  witness  the  pro- 
ceeding. A  committee  was 
appointed  to  prepare  resolu- 
tions to  submit  to  the  dele- 
gates. Before  matters  had 
reached  a  crisis,  however,  a 
courier  rode  into  the  village 
with  tidings  of  the  battle  of 
Lexington,  which  had  oc- 
curred just  one  month  pre- 
vious. Excitement  was  in- 
tense and  only  one  course  of 
procedure  was  now  to  be 
considered.  After  lengthy 
discussion  and  argument, 
when  the  night  had  worn 
away  into  the  morning  of 
the  20th,  Dr.  Ephraim  Bre- 
vard, a  member  of  the  committee,  presented  the  amended  resolu- 
tions, which  were  forthwith  adopted.  These  resolutions  couched  in 
terse,  emphatic  language,  are  as  follows : 

I.  Resolved,  That  whosoever  directly  or  indirectly  abets,  or  in 
any  way,  form  or  manner  countenances  the  invasion  of  our  rights, 
as  attempted  by  the  Parliament  of  Great  Britain,  is  an  enemy  to 
his  country,  to  America,  and  to  the  rights  of  man. 

II.  Resolved,  That  we,  the  citizens  of  Mecklenburg  County,  do 
herebv  dissolve  the  political  bonds  that  have  connected  us  with  the 
mother  country,  and  absolve  ourselves  from  all  allegiance  to  the 
British  Crown,  adjuring  all  political  connection  with  the  nation  that 
has  wantonly  trampled  on  our  rights  and  liberties  and  inhumanly 
shed  innocent  blood  of  Americans  at  Lexington 


nument  marking  Birthplace  of  President  James  K.  Polk 
Eleven  miles  from  Charlotte 
(Erected  by  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution) 


III.  Resolved,  That  we  do  hereby  declare  ourselves  a  free  and 
independent  people ;  that  we  are,  and  of  right  ought  to  be,  a  sover- 
eign and  self-governing  people  under  the  power  of  God  and  the 
general  Congress ;  to  the  maintenance  of  which  independence  we 
solemnly  pledge  to  each  other  our  mutual  cooperation,  our  lives, 
our  fortunes  and  our  most  sacred  honor. 

IV.  Resolved,  That  we  hereby  ordain  and  adopt  as  rules  of  con- 
duct all  and  each  of  our  former  laws,  and  that  the  crown  of  Great 
Britain  can  not  be  considered  hereafter  as  holding  any  rights,  privi- 
leges, or  immunities  amongst  us. 

V.  Resolved,  That  all  officers,  both  civil  and  military  in  this 
county,  be  entitled  to  exercise  the  same  powers  and  authorities  as 
heretofore;  that  every  member  of  this  delegation  shall  henceforth 
be  a  civil  officer  and  exercise  the  powers  of  a  justice  of  the  peace, 
issue  process,  hear  and  determine  controversies  according  to  law. 
preserve  peace,  union  and  harmony  in  the  county,  and  use  every 
exertion  to  spread  the  love  of  liberty  and  of  country  until  a  more 
general  and  better  organized  system  of  government  be  established. 

VI.  Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  transmitted  by 
express  to  the  President  of  the  Continental  Congress  assembled  in 
Philadelphia,  to  be  laid  before  that  body. 


The  Old  Court  House 
(Shortly  before  it  was  torn  away  to  give  place  to  the  Selwyn  Hotel) 


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The  Selwyn  Hotel 


(Signatures) 


Abraham  Alexander,  Chairman, 
John  McKnitt  Alexander,  Secretary. 

John  Davidson, 
Robert  Irwin, 
Ezra  Alexander, 
Thomas  Polk   Sr. 


Ephraim  Brevard 
Zaccheus  Wilson, 
James  Harris, 
Matthew  McClure, 
Richard  Barry, 
John  Flennegin, 
William  Grails  m  . 
Richard  Harris, 
Adam  Alexander, 
Charles  Alexander, 
John  Phifer, 
Benjamin  Patton, 
John  Ford, 

Thus  was  taken  the  first  decisive  step  on  American  soil  toward 
throwing  off  the  English  yoke  and  publicly  making  a  firm  and  de- 


Hezekiah  Alexander, 
Hezekiah  J.  Balch, 
Waightstill  Avery, 
William  Kennon, 
Neil  Morrison, 
Henry  Downe, 
David  Reese, 
John  Queary. 


stand  for  independence.  Immediately  upon  its  adoption,  a 
of  the  Declaration  was  sent  in  care  of  Captain  James 
to  the  Continental  Congress  then  in  session  at  Philadel- 
This  august  body  was  just  at  that  time  preparing  an  address 
to  the  King,  wherein  was  repudiated  a  desire  for  independence,  and 
therefore  declined  to  act  upon  the  Mecklenburg  Declaration,  deem- 
ing it  premature., 


cided 
copy 
Jack 
phia. 


The  National  Declaration  of  Independence  adopted  one  year  later 
shows  most  conclusively  how  closely  the  initiative  steps  of  Mecklen- 
burg were  followed.  An  adjourned  meeting  of  the  Mecklenburg 
Convention  was  held  in  Charlotte  on  the  31st  of  May,  and  twenty  res- 
olutions, which  have  been  styled  the  "Thirty-first  Resolves,"  were 
adopted  for  the  purpose  as  set  forth  in  an  introductory  clause,  "To 
provide  in  some  degree  for  the  exigencies  of  this  county  in  the 
present  alarming  period." 

Though  failing  to  receive  support  from  the  Congress  in  Philadel- 
phia, such  a  document  as  the  Mecklenburg  Declaration,  bearing 
signatures  of  representative  men  of  the  county,  and  of  the  State 
of  North  Carolina,  could  not  fail  to  be  regarded  with  significance. 
These  bold  resolutions  proved  to  be  a  source  of  much  uneasiness  to 
the  royal  governor  of  North  Carolina,  Josiah  Martin,  who,  disap- 
proving the  violent  measures  pursued  by  his  predecessor,  Governor 
Tryon,  was  attempting  to  restore  harmony  in  the  state.  His  trepi- 
dation on  learning  of  the  independent  action  at  Charlotte  is  fully 
portrayed  in  an  address  by  Governor  Martin  to  the  Executive  Coun- 
cil on  June  25,  1775  ;  also  in  a  letter  written  by  him  to  the  Earl  of 
Dartmouth,  on  June  30,  1775,  referring  to  proceedings  published  in 
the  Cape  Fear  Mercury,  and  in  a  proclamation  issued  on  August  8th 
of  the  same  year.*  On  the  night  of  June  14,  1775,  Governor  Martin 
left  his  home  in  New  Bern,  going  first  to  Fort  Johnson,  thence  to  an 
English  ship  lying  near  by.  Here  for  one  year  he  nominally  held  the 
office  of  Governor,  and  with  his  departure  royal  rule  forever  ended 
in  the  state  of  North  Carolina. 


'See    Volume    10,    Colonial    Records   of   North    Caroli 


■nip  in    whfo*" 


United  States  Assay  Office 


Views  of  Vance  Park 


In  April  of  the  year  1800  the  home  of  John  McKnitt  Alexander 
was  burned  and  in  it  the  original  copy  of  the  Declaration,  together 
with  other  valuable  papers.  The  fact  that  the  original  manuscript 
was  destroyed,  while  an  unfortunate  occurrence,  did  not  affect  the 
historical  truth  that  independence  was  declared  in  Charlotte  on 
Mav  20,  1775  ;  but,  however,  did  give  occasion  to  some  persons  not 
thoroughly  conversant  with  the  history  of  Mecklenburg  to  circulate 
a  report  fifty  years  later,  that  since  the  original  copy  was  not  in 
existence,  there  had  been  no  such  action  taken.  Contemporaneous 
history  confutes  all  reports  of  this  tendency ;  some  persons  in 
this  enlightened  age  would  likely  doubt  the  authenticity  of  the 
Scriptures,  since  the  original  copy  is  not  in  hand.  Deeds  in  the 
Mecklenburg    county     court-house    date     from    the     Mecklenburg 


The  Post  Office  Building 

Declaration;  for  example,  "This  indenture  made  the  13th  day  of 
February,  1779,  and  in  the  fourth  year  of  our  independence."  The 
Moravian  Church  at  Salem,  N.  C,  has  carefully  preserved  in  Ger- 
man script  an  annual  record  called  the  "Bethania  Records,"  from 
the  year  1755  to  the  present  time.  On  one  of  its  pages  is  recorded 
the  following  paragraph:  "At  the  end  of  the  year  1775  I  cannot 
omit  to  mention  that  already  in  the  summer  of  the  same  year — that 
is  to  say  in  May,  June  or  Jul}- — the  County  of  Mecklenburg,  in 
North  Carolina,  did  declare  itself  free  and  independent  from  Eng- 
land, and  did  make  such  disposition  of  the  administration  of  law 
as  later  on  the  Continental  Congress  established  for  the  whole.  But 
this  proceeding  Congress  looked  upon  as  too  premature." 

The  History  of  North  Carolina  by  Martin,  written  during  the 
period  1791-1809,  gives  reliable  authority  for  its  account  of  the 
Mecklenburg  Declaration. 


Lafayette,  when  entertained  at  a  public  dinner  at  the  governor's 
mansion  in  Raleigh,  X.  C,  March  2,  1825,  offered  th«  following 
toast:  "The  state  of  North  Carolina,  its  metropolis,  and  the  20th  of 
May,  1775,  when  a  generous  people  called  for  freedom,  of  which 
may  they  more  and  more  forever  cherish  the  principles  and  enjoy  the 
blessings." 


MecKlenburg  County  Court  House 

lg  Monument  to  Signers  of  Mecklenburg  Declaration  ot  Independence) 


Previous  to  the  burning  of  his  residence,  with  its  many  valuable 
records  and  documents,  John  McKnitt  Alexander  had  made  several 
copies  of  the  Declaration ;  he  now  made  two  others  from  memory, 
one  of  these  he  gave  to  General  William  R.  Davie,  which  is  known 
as  the  "Davie  copy,"  and  is  preserved  in  the  archives  of  the  Xorth 
Carolina  University.  It,  however,  was  not  an  exact  reproduction, 
which  the  writer  acknowledged  on  the  back  of  the  document, 
in  the  following  words :  "The  foregoing  statement,  though  funda- 
mentally correct,  may  not  literally  correspond  with  the  original  record 
of  the  transactions  of  said  delegation."  The  National  Declaration 
of  Independence  bears  such  a  marked  resemblance  to  the  Mecklen- 
burg Declaration,  that  Thomas  Jefferson  was  accused  by  some  of 
plagiarism.  Among  others,  the  aged  John  Adams  was  of  this 
opinion,  and  received  a  sharp  rebuke  from  Jefferson,  who  naturally 
did  not  favor  such  a  belief.     The  Reverend  Arnold  W.  Miller,  an 


ardent  supporter  of  the  Mecklenburg  Declaration,  in  his  Centen- 
nial Sermon  of  May  16,  1875,  traces  the  origin  of  American  In- 
dependence back  to  the  "Scottish  Bands  and  Covenants"  and  says : 
"These  Bands  and  Covenants  educated  the  Scotch  and  Irish  sett- 
lers of  this  country  in  the  principles  of  liberty  and  prepared  them 
for  the  work  to  which  Providence  called  them,  the  achievement  Of 
American  Independence.  To  the  Rev.  Alexander  Craighead,  a 
Presbyterian  minister  of  Ireland  who  settled  in  Mecklenburg  in 
1759,  the  people  of  this  county  are  indebted  for  that  training  which 
placed  them  in  the  forefront  of  American  patriots  and  heroes.  It 
was  at  this  fountain  that  Dr.  Ephraim  Brevard  and  his  associates 
drew  their  inspirations  of  liberty.  It  was  from  these  'Scottish 
Bands  and  Covenants,'  as  embraced  in  ■Rushworth's  Collections, 
we  find  that  Mr.  Jefferson  drew  largely  both  sentiments 
and  phrases,  as  he  himself  admits.  The  Hon.  Julian  C. 
Verplanck,  of  New  York,  in  an  address  delivered  over  forty  years 
ago,  traced  the  origin  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence  to  the 
National  Covenants  of  Scotland.  And  Chief-Justice  Tilghman  stated 
that  the  framers  of  the  American  Constitution  were  greatly  indebted 


Charlotte  during  a  Twentieth  of  May  Celebration 

to  the  standards  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in  Scotland."  Hon. 
George  Bancroft,  the  historian,  after  careful  investigation,  as- 
serted the  authenticity  of  the  Mecklenburg  Declaration  and  says : 
"The  first  voice  publicly  raised  in  America  to  dissolve  all  connec- 
tion with  Great  Britain,  came,  not  from  the  Puritans  of  New  En- 
gland, nor  the  Dutch  of  New  York,  nor  the  planters  of  Virginia, 


but  from  the  Scotch-Irish  Presbyterians  of  North  Carolina."  Gene- 
ral Joseph  Graham  and  Rev.  Humphrej  Hunter,  who  were  present 
at  the  convention  of  Ma)  20,  1775.  both  state  in  written  records  that 
a  great  throng  was  gathered  on  that  occasion  and  intense  inter- 
est was  manifested. 


View  of  Entrance  lo  Post  Office 
Showing  Shipp  Monument 


In  the  stirring  days  of  the  American  Revolution.  Charlotte  and 
Mecklenburg  upheld  with  distinction  the  pledges  of  1775.  I  heir 
citizens  were  prominent  in  both  state  and  military  affairs,  and  proved 
themselves  valiant  defenders  of  home  and  country.  It  was  during 
the  year  1780  that  the  British  entered  western  North  Carolina,  after 
over-running  Georgia  and  South  Carolina.  As  Tarleton's  forces 
advanced  on  Charlotte  they  were  harassed  by  Major  Davie  and 
General  Davidson  with  a  small  troop  of  cavalrymen  :  and  at  mid- 
night, September  25.  1780.  Davie*  rode  into  the  town,  where  he  was 
joined  by  Major  (afterwards  General)  Joseph  Graham,  and  together 
they  made  preparation  to  meet  the  oncoming  foe.  Outnumbered  by 
the  enemy  fifteen  to  one,  the  North  Carolinians  were  nevertheless 
undaunted,  and  determined  to  make  a  bold  stand.  On  the  morning 
of  the  26th  of  September,  they  posted  their  men  as  advantageously 
as  possible  under  cover  of  a  stone  wall  about  the  court-house,  and 
also  stationed  a  number  along  East  Trade  Street.  Tarleton's 
cavalrv.  commanded  by  Major  Hanger,  formed  a  line  within  three 
hundred  yards  of  the  court-house,  and  was  supported  by  solid  ranks 


of  infantry.  Three  times  during  the  day,  they  charged,  and  justf 
so  often  were  met  by  a  steady  firing  that  put  their  troops  in  great 
confusion,  besides  causing  much  loss  of  life.  Cornwallis  was  sur- 
prised and  chagrined  to  meet  this  unexpected  repulse,  and  riding  to 
the  front,  rebuked  his  men  for  cowardice.  As  nightfall  approached, 
Graham  and  Davie  deemed  it  more  prudent,  on  account  of  their  small 
force,  to  seek  a  position  of  greater  safety.  Taking  an  eastward 
course,  they  were  vigorously  pursued  by  the  British,  but  succeeded  in 
reaching  a  safe  distance  with  slight  loss  of  life.  Among  the 
severely  wounded,  was  Major  Joseph  Graham,  who  received  nine 
serious  wounds  and  was  left  on  the  field,  supposed  to  be  dead.  He, 
however,  recovered  and  rendered  further  valuable  service  in  the 
Revolutionary  War.  This  engagement,  known  as  the  ''Battle  of 
Charlotte,"  is  not  numbered  among  the  important  battles 
of  Revolutionary  history;  but  it  undoubtedly  served  to 
show  the  British  with  what  manner  of  men  they  had  to 
deal  in  Mecklenburg;  and  might  also  have  given  a  fore- 
warning as  to  the  outcome  at  King's  Mountain  and  other  battles  in 
this  vicinity.    Cornwallis  remained  in  Charlotte  sixteen  davs,  but  his' 


Lahe  at  Country  Club 


stay  was  not  permitted  to  be  a  peaceful  one.  At  Mclntyre's  farm, 
seven  miles  to  the  north,  his  foraging  forces  were  attacked  by 
a  small  party  of  North  Carolina  soldiers,  and  after  a  sharp  encounter 
the  British  were  forced  to  retreat.  This,  and  other  bold  onslaughts  of 
the  Carolinians,  gave  the  enemy  a  thoroughly  uncomfortable  time, 


■    ^     ■'  ' J»*»'.  •    ,..  ».  -.Ill  & 


and  caused  Cornwallis  to  dub  the  brave  little  town  "The  Hornet's 
Nest,"  which  historic  appellation  it  still  retains.  The  battle  of 
King's  Mountain,  only  thirty-three  miles  distant,  occurred  on  Oc- 
tober jth  of  the  same  year,  and  was  an  overwhelming  defeat  for 
the  men  under  the  command  of  Major  Ferguson,  a  favorite  officer  of 
Cornwallis.     He  at  once  resolved  to  take  his  departure,  declaring 


Mecklenburg  to  be  "the  most  rebellious  and  ill-disposed  county  in 
all  America."  On  October  12th,  the  British  resumed  the  line  of 
march,  leaving  behind  many  spoils  collected  on  foraging  tours. 
Davie  and  Davidson  followed  closely  for  a  time  and  captured  a 
part  of  the  enemy's  baggage.  Charlotte  was  not  again  molested  by 
the  British ;  the  men  of  Mecklenburg  had  proven  their  ability  to  cope 
with  the  enemy,  and  throughout  the  war  thev  rendered   effective 


assistance  to  the  American  cause  and  upheld  most  ardently  the  prin- 
ciples of  independence. 

When  peace  again  reigned  in  the  land.  Charlotte  having  laid  aside 
the  habiliments  of  war,  resumed  the  life  of  quietude  and  industry 
which  it  had  formerly  maintained.  At  this  time,  although  number- 
ing less  than  three  hundred  inhabitant-,  it  was  nevertheless  a  place 
of  much  importance.  Here  the  people  of  the  surrounding  country 
came  to  sell  or  exchange  farm  produce;  and  to  obtain  the  necessi- 
ties of  life,  which  in  that  day  were  deemed  few  in  number,  as  living 
was  on  a  very  frugal  basis.  Here,  also,  they  came  to  receive  the 
infrequent  and  irregular  mails;  or  occasionally,  from  some  traveler. 


Presbyterian  College 


to  obtain  tidings  from  the  outside  world.  A  time  of  great  interest 
was  the  convening  of  the  county  court.  The  county  was  divided 
into  militia  districts,  and  assemblies  met  in  the  districts,  sep- 
parately,  or  at  Charlotte,  when  the  entire  county  would  be  repre- 
sented. These  muster  days,  as  they  were  termed,  were  held  for  the 
purpose  of  discussing  political  questions  of  the  day,  but  were  also 
seasons  of  general  social  intercourse :  as  local  newspapers  had  not 
then  been  instituted,  gatherings  of  this  kind  served  in  a  measure 
for  the  dissemination  of  news.  Public  meetings  afforded  the  prin- 
cipal diversion  for  the  men  of  this  period,  but  the  women  and  chil- 
dren remained  closely  at  home  and  knew  little  of  social  pleasures. 

Charlotte  in  these  early  days,  when  the  absence  of  railroads  and 
telegraph  made  difficult  all  communication  with  the  outside  world, 
was  not,  however,  entirely  cut  off  from  other  sections  of  the  country. 
Trips,  on  horseback  or  by  private  conveyance,  were  made  to  Charles- 
ton, Philadelphia,  and  other  distant  points,  from  which  the  trav- 
elers returned  bringing  stores  of  purchases,  and  also  newspapers  or 
other  publications  available.  Until  the  introduction  of  the  railroad, 
the  stage-coach  was  the  usual  method  of  travel,  and  its  coming  was 


heralded  by  the  blowing  of  a  horn  by  the  driver— a  signal  for  the 
gathering  of  a  crowd  about  the  tavern  door,  and  a  forewarning  that 
the  monotony  of  village  life  was,  for  a  short  while,  to  be  broken  by 
the  arrival  of  the  stage-coach  with  its  passengers.  Petersburg, 
Favetteville,  Charleston,  Camden,  and  Cheraw  were  favorite  places 
for  trading,  the  goods  being  hauled  by  wagons  to  Charlotte  from 
these  points. 

Closely  following  the  establishment  of  homes  in  this  new  land  was 
the  building  of  school-houses  and  churches.  Religious  and  indus- 
trial training  was  considered  of  chief  importance,  and  all  instruc- 
tion was  of  a  practical  nature ;  necessary  school  books  were  difficult 
to  obtain,  so  the  elementary  branches  were  principally  taught; 
occasionally  the  children  of  affluent  parents  were  sent  North  to  be 
educated.  In  January,  1771,  a  bill  was  passed  by  the  Assembly  of 
North  Carolina,  establishing  and  endowing  in  Charlotte  a  college 
to  meet  the  increasing  need  for  more  advanced  learning  than  was 


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then  supplied  by  the  schools  of  the  state.  This  institution,  chartered 
by  the  King,  was  called  Queen's  College,  and  opened  under  most 
encouraging  auspices.  Owing,  however,  to  dissensions  in  the  country 
at  this  time,  the  charter  was  disallowed  by  the  King  in  1773.  The 
people,  being  anxious  to  have  in  their  midst  a  high  grade  school,  con- 
tinued the  institution  without  a  charter,  under  the  name  of  Queen's 
Museum.  In  1777  other  changes  were  made,  the  school  being  incor- 
porated as  Liberty  Hall  Academy.  With  the  invasion  of  Cornwallis, 
the  academy  was  compelled  to  suspend,  and  was  not  again  opened. 
The  site  on  which  it  stood  is  now  occupied  by  the'  court-house. 

On  May  25,  1791,  there  was  entertained  in  Charlotte  a  distin- 
guished guest,  General  George  Washington,  who  being  on  a  tour 
through  the  South,  stopped  to  visit  the  little  town  which  won  such  a 
notable  reputation  for  bravery  in  Revolutionary  days. 


Owing  to  its  settlement  chiefly  by  the  Scotch-Irish,  Charlotte  has 
always  been  known  as  a  stronghold  of  Presbyterianism,  though 
churches  of  many  other  denominations  flourish:  "Among  the  min- 
isters of  the  Presbyterian 
faith  who  exerted  great 
influence  throughout  this 
section  during  its  forma- 
tive period  was  the  Rev. 
Alexander  Craighead, 
who  in  the  year  1750  be- 
gan his  pastorate  at 
Rocky  River  and  Sugar 
Creek  churches.  There 
being  at  that  time  no 
church  in  the  town,  the 
people  worshipped  at 
Sugar  ( "reck  Church. 
Mr  Craighead  was  a 
man  of  fearless  and  in- 
trepid  Spirit.  Of  Unflinch-  Carnegie  Library 

ing   principles,   and   im- 
bued with  great  patriotic  zeal.     Mis  influence  in  guiding  the  | 

aright  at  a  time  when   the  country's   fate  was  wavering  cannot  be 
overestimated. 


Residence  on  South    Tryon  Street 

(Under  one  of  these  large  oaks  Aaron  Burr  and  guards  are  said  to  have  rested  while  i 


ite  to  Richmond) 


In  1792  the  local  officers  of  Charlotte  first  took  the  oath  of  alle- 
giance to  the  Federal  Government;  shortly  afterwards  a  United 
States  post-office  was  established,  and  the  village  began  to  assume 
the  semblance  of  a  town.  The  wealthiest  class  of  people,  however, 
resided  in  the  country,  and  their  large  estates  were  cultivated  by 
slaves. 

Tidings  of  renewed  difficulties  with  the  British  Government  in 
1812  aroused  again  the  spirit  of  patriotism  in  Mecklenburg;  five 
companies  were  sent  to  join  the  United  States  forces  and  served 
until  peace  was  restored. 


Phifer  Avenue 


An  epoch  in  town  history  was  reached  when  the  first  local  news- 
paper made  its  appearance  in  1824,  edited  by  Thomas  J.  Holton, 
under  the  name  of  "The  North  Carolina  Whig" ;  later  it  was  changed 
to  "The  Charlotte  Journal." 

One  company  from  Charlotte  participated  in  the  Mexican  war ; 
Captain  Green  W.  Caldwell  was  in  command.  From  April,  1847 
this  company  served  until  mustered  out  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  Mo., 
July  31,  1848. 

On  October  21,  1852,  the  first  passenger  train  entered  Charlotte 
amid  cheers  from  an  enthusiastic  throng;  this  event  marked  a  new 
era  in  the  development  of  the  town  and  added  materially  to  its 
growth. 

In  the  war  between  the  States.  1861-65,  soldiers  from  Charlotte 
and  Mecklenburg  were  among  the  first  to  volunteer  for  the  Con- 


or,  with  recruits,  -'.713  soldiers.     The)  sus- 
a   reputation   for  valor  throughout  the  war. 


federate  cause,  participating  in  the  battle  of  Bethel,  June  6,  [861. 

During  the  four  years  of  tin-  war.  the  town  and  county  furnished 

twenty-one  companies, 

tained   mosl    worthily 

Among  those  t\ 

w  0  11       distinction 

w  e  r  e    Lieut-<  len- 

eral     D.    II.     Mill. 

Brig.-(  General    Jas. 

Lane,      Brig.-(  !en- 

eral     Rufus     l'.ar- 

ringcx,   Col.   C.   C. 

Lee,  Col.  John   A. 

Young,  I  !ol.  Edwin 

A.    (  teborne,    Col. 

John     E.     Brown. 

Col.        McKinney, 

Col.  W.  A.  Owens 

Col.   J.   T.   Tayl-.r. 

M  a  j  or     Thomas 

McG.     Smith     and 

Major      Egbert 

Ross.        Charlotte, 


The  Charlotte  Drum  Corps 


although  spared 
many  of  the  hor- 
rors of  war,  and  terrible  destruction  visited  upon  other  sections 
of  the  country,  suffered  keenly  from  the  effects  of  this  fratricidal 
conflict,  and  many  homes  were  darkened  by  the  loss  of  those 
who  had  gone  forth  to  battle  for  their  country's  rights.  While 
the  'men  were  fighting  at  the  front,  the  women  banded  together, 
and  with  untiring  labor  furnished  garments  and  needed  supplies 
of  every  kind,  adding  no  little  to  the  physical  comfort  of  the 
soldiers,  and  by  their  loyal  and  patriotic  spirit  giving  inspiration  and 
encouragement  President  Jefferson  Davis  and  the  Confederate  Cab- 
inet, accompanied  by  a  thousand  cavalrymen,  had  just  reached  Char- 
lotte on  die  15th  of  April.  1865,  when  a  telegram  announcing  the 
assassination  of  President  Lincoln  was  handed  President  Davis.  The 
Confederate  officials  remained  for  several  days  awaiting  farther  de- 
velopments in  this  crucial  period.  (  >n  the  20th  of  April  tin.  last  meet- 
ing of  the  Confederate  Cabinet,  before  it  permanently  dissolved,  was 
held  at  the  home  of  Mr.  William  Phifer,  on  North  Tryon  Street. 
This  historic  residence  is  now  the  property  of  Col.  William  E.  Holt. 
During  the  war  it  was  considered  advisable  to  remove  the  Con- 
federate navy  yard  from  Norfolk.  Virginia,  to  a  place  of  greater 
safety.  No  point  on  the  coast  seeming  to  be  sufficiently  protected, 
Charlotte  was  selected  as  being  far  enough  inland  to  be  comparativelv 
safe.  and  the  navy  yard  was  accordingly  moved  here.  Tt  was  used, 
however,  chiefly  for  the  making  of  cannon  balls,  repairing  of  guns, 
etc.     The  Mint  building  served  as  headquarters  for  the  naval  offi- 


cers.  Some  of  the  former  employes  of  the  navy  yard  are  among  the 
residents  of  Charlotte  at  the  present  time. 

Among  the  prominent  men  who  chose  Charlotte  as  their  home 
after  the  war  were  Brig.-General  R.  D.  Drayton,  Brig.-General  R. 
D.  Johnston,  and  Col.  Hamilton  C.  Jones.  A  noted  citizen  and 
prominent  lawyer  of  the  town  for  several  years  was  Zebulon  Baird 
Vance,  North  Carolina's  distinguished  war-governor,  who  later 
served  for  fifteen  years  in  the  United  States  Senate.  One  of  the 
most  honored  residents  to-day  is  Mrs.  Stonewall  Jackson,  who 
is  esteemed  not  only  for  the  name  she  bears,  but  also  for  her  own 
true  worth  and  charming  personality. 

The  period  of  reconstruction  was  to  this  section,  as  elsewhere 
throughout  the  South,  a  season  of  gloom  and  depression — of  unset- 
tled conditions  and  re-adjustment  to  a  changed  state  of  affairs.  Over 
those  unhappy  years  we  would  draw  the  veil  of  silence — their  gloom 
has  left  a  shadow  on  history's  page  which  the  passing  of  time  cannot 
dispel.  In  1870  the  population  of  the  town,  including  suburbs,  num- 
bered about  five  thousand  people.  Stunned  for  a  while  by  the  great 
blow  which  had  fallen  so  heavily  upon  the  South,  Charlotte  remained 
apparently,  at  a  stand-still,  except  for  the  dull  routine  of  business. 
With  the  freeing  of  the  slaves  it  was  evident  that  a  great  change 
must  take  place  throughout  a  country  distinctively  agricultural,  and 
depending  largely  upon  slaves  for  cultivation.    By  degrees,  however. 


View  of  South  Tr 


recuperative  power  began  to  assert  itself :  the  town  commenced  to 
turn  attention  to  manufacturing  interests,  and  henceforth  a  new  life 
began  to  throb.  Prior  to  the  Revolutionary  war  a  rifle  factory  had 
been  established,  and  was  one  of  three  such  factories  in  the 
United  States ;  but  not  until  the  latter  half  of  the  19th  century 
were    there  many    manufacturing    establishments  to    be    found    in 


this  vicinity.  In  1881  the  first  cotton  mill  was  built  in  the  town  ; 
it  was  owned  by  the  Messrs.  Oates  and  was  called  the  Charlotte 
Cotton  Mill.  To-day  this  city  is  the  recognized  center  of  the  great 
cotton-mill  district  of  the  South.  Within  a  radius  of  one  hundred 
miles  of  Charlotte  there  are  more  than  three  hundred  cotton  mills, 
containing  over  one-half  the  spindles  and  looms  in  the  South. 
These  mills  represent  approximately  a  capital  of  $130,000,000 
and  operate  about  four  million  spindles  and  100,000  looms.  In 
Charlotte  and  in  its  suburbs  there  are  twenty  cotton  mills  and  three 
cotton-seed  mills.  The  cotton-seed  oil  industry  has  developed 
largely,  not  only  in  the  manufacture  of  oil  for  varied  purposes, 
but  of  the  meal  for  fertilizers,  and  the  meal  and  hull  for  cattle 
food.  As  a  supplementary  food-product,  cotton-seed  oil  finds  ready 
sale,  and  is  shipped  to  the  North  and  West,  as  well  as  to  foreign  coun- 


The  Vance  Residence 
of  Zebulon  Baird  Vance,  Governor  of  North  Carolina 


tries.  The  manufacture  of  cotton  into  yarns  and  cloth  represent  a 
large  amount  of  capital  annually.  Instead  of  selling  raw  cotton  at 
six  or  seven  cents  per  pound,  as  formerly,  it  has  risen  in  value, 
through  manufacture  into  salable  goods,  to  many  times  that  amount, 
China  and  other  foreign  countries  being  among  the  consumers. 

For  years  an  obstacle  to  manufacturing  interests  in  the  South  was 
the  lack  of  mechanical  knowledge  ;  by  degrees  this  want  is  being 
supplied  and  has  opened  a  large  field  of  industry  to  young  men. 
Charlotte  is  now  independent  in  regard  to  the  establishment  of 
cotton-mills  from  the  fact  that  without  outside  assistance,  a  cotton- 
mill  can  be  designed,  built,  equipped  throughout,  and  put  in  operation 
while  the  cotton  is  growing  at  its  door.  While  the  manufacture  of 
cotton   is   the   leading  industry   there    are   other   enterprises    which 


^\UiW4<    .  .Awl 

I                                                          ^& 

are  aiding-  very  materially  in  the  industrial  progress  of  the 
community.  A  number  of  machine  shops  are  occupied  in  the 
construction  of  all  kinds  of  machinery  necessary  for  preparing  cotton 
for  the  market,  cotton-seed  oil  machinery,  cotton  mill  machinery,  and 
mining  machinery.  The  Mecklenburg  Iron  Works  and  the  Liddell 
Company  are  the  oldest  industries  of  this  kind  in  Charlotte.  The 
machine  shops  of  the  D.  A.  Tompkins  Company  are  widely  known 
as  a  most  successful  plant  for  the  manufacture  of  machinery.  Sev- 
eral large  supply  houses  also  find  an  active  field  for  furnishing  sup- 
plies to  the  manufacturer.  Among  flourishing  industries  are  clothing 
factories  which  give  employment  to  many  hundreds  of  people.  A 
diversity  of  minor  enterprises  adds  to  the  city's  increasing  wealth 
and  progressiveness.     A  marked  expansion  of  the  banking  business 


Home  of  Mrs.  Stonewall  JacKson 

gives  unmistakable  evidence  of  prosperity.  Four  National  Banks, 
several  State  Banks,  Trust  Companies,  and  Building  and  Loan  As- 
sociations, are  on  a  sound  basis,  and  proclaim  the  increasing  strength 
of  Charlotte's  business  interests.  The  Charlotte  Consolidated  Con- 
struction Company  owns  the  electric  car  plant  and  is  constantly  ex- 
tending its  lines  in  every  direction,  adding  greatly  to  the  upbuild- 
ing of  the  city,  and  especially  the  suburban  development.  This  com- 
pany also  furnishes  gas  and  electricity  for  lighting  purposes.  More 
recent  organizations  are  the  Southern  Power  Company  and  the 
Catawba  Power  Company,  which  are  developing  the  water  power 
of  the  Catawba  river.  The  Catawba  Power  Company  furnishes 
electricity    for    lighting    the    streets    of    Charlotte.     Both    of   these 


companies  own  valuable  water  .sites  on  the  Catawba  river,  and  the 
development  of  this  magnificent  water  power  and  its  distribution 
through  the  Piedmont  region  mean  untold  possibilities  for  this 
tion  of  North  Carolina.  Mr.  I).  A.  Tompkins,  of  Charlotte,  who  is 
thoroughly  conversant  with  the  manufacturing  interest-  and  elec- 
trical development  of  the  South,  has  made  a  cartful  estimate  of  the 
water  power  available  within  sixty  miles  of  Charlotte.  Giving  a 
map  showing  the  main  streams  and  tributaries  within  this  distance, 
Mr.  Tompkins  says:  "Any  estimate  in  figures  based  upon  the  cubic 
feet  of  water  and  the  fall,  makes  1,000,000  horse  power  vcr\  conserv- 
ative as  being  available  within  sixty  miles  of  (  liarlotte.  The  number 
of  spindles  which  1.000,000  horse  power  would  run  would  vary  ac- 
cording to  the  fineness  or  coarseness  of  the  yarns.  Taking  the  aver- 
age of  what  is  already  being  made  in  this  territory.  1,000,000  would 
run  30,000,000  spindles  and  1 ,000,000  looms.  In  other  words  the  water 
power  available  within  sixty  miles  of  Charlotte  has  been  made  by 
the  introduction  of  electrical  development  available  to  be  economi- 
cally used  to  run  as  many  spindles  as  are  in  all  England." 

Charlotte  occupies  a  central  location  in  the  mining  district  of  the 
Piedmont  region,  and  since  the  latter  part  of  the  18th  centurj 
mining  has  been  carried  on  in  the  neighboring  localities  with  oft- 
times  much  success.  In  1835  tnc  Charlotte  Mint,  a  branch  of  the 
United  States  Mint  at  Philadelphia,  was  established,  and  in  Decem- 
ber. 1837.  opened  for  business.  Fifty  thousand  dollars  was  appro- 
priated by  the  government  for  the  site  and  building.  (  In  July  27. 
1844,  the  Mint  was  burned:  after  some  months  an  appropriation  of 
$35,000.00  was  obtained,  a  new  building  erected,  and  the  necessary 


Scene  in  Wilmoore  Woodland 


Heathcote,"  at  Piedmont  ParK 


machinery  purchased.  On  the  secession  of  North  Carolina,  Ma)'  20, 
1861,  operations  at  the  Mint  ceased,  and  the  building-  was  used  by 
the  Confederate  authorities  during  the  war.  The  total  coinage  of 
gold  from  1838  to  1861  amounted  to  $5,059,188.00.  At  the  close 
of  the  war  the  Mint  was  seized  by  Federal  forces,  and  occupied  by 
their  officials  until  the  summer  of  1867 ;  during  that  year  it  was  re- 
opened as  an  assay  office,  and  as  such  is  continued  at  the  present 
time. 

The  Gold  Bullion  deposited  at  the  U.  S.  Assay  Office 
in  Charlotte,  N.  C,  during  the  five  years  ended 
July  1,  1906,  amounted  to $1,233,147.58 

The  amount  of  Silver  Bullion  contained  in  above  de- 
posit of  Gold,  same  period 3,834.06 

Total $1,236,981.64 

St.  Catherine's  and  the  Rudisill  gold  mines  near  the  city  are  the 
largest  mines  in  operation  in  this  vicinity.  The  large  patronage 
which  the  Mint  has  received,  both  for  the  coinage  of  gold  and  later 
only  for  the  assaying  of  the  metal,  is  evidence  that  Charlotte  was 
judiciously  selected  for  this  purpose.  In  the  Mint  may  be  seen  a 
large  and  valuable  collection  of  North  Carolina  stones,  many  speci- 
mens being  rare  and  beautiful. 

An  important  factor  in  the  development  and  material  progress  of 
Charlotte  has  been  the  good  roads  for  which  Mecklenburg  county  is 


*'  Kilmichtel  " 
A  Country  Road 


far-famed.  Radiating  from  Charlotte  as  a  center,  these  splendid  ma- 
cadam highways  extend  in  all  directions  through  the  county,  render- 
ing travel  easy  and  comfortable  under  all  conditions  of  weather,  con- 
tributing greatly  to  the  pleasure  of  the  people  and  enhancing  the  value 
of  property.  By  a  system  of  special  taxation  and  convict  labor,  one 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  of  roadway  have  been  built  in  the  past 
twenty  years.  A  pioneer  in  the  movement  for  good  roads  was 
Capt.  S.  B.  Alexander,  who,  as  a  member  of  the  North  Carolina 
State  Senate  of  1879,  drew  up  and  secured  the  enactment  of  a  bill 
providing  for  the  improvement  of  roads  in  Mecklenburg  county, 
authorizing  the  people  to  levy  a  special  road  tax,  and  to  employ  con- 
vict labor.  This  measure,  being  little  understood,  met  with  disfavor 


29  *£ 


LMjjtUttllf.l^ 


A  North  Tryon  Slree    Residence 


from  the  people,  and  at  their  request  was  repealed  by  the  Legislature 
of  1881.  In  spite  of  the  discouraging  outlook,  Captain  Alexander 
continued  his  efforts  in  the  interests  of  good  roads,  and  in  1883  was 
returned  to  the  State  Senate  for  the  express  purpose  of  securing  the 
re-enactment  of  the  road-law.  The  bill  passed  the  Senate  but  was 
defeated  in  the  House.  In  1885,  however,  Captain  Alexander  as- 
sisted by  Captain  W.  E.  Ardrey,  was  successful  in  securing  the  pas- 
sage of  his  bill  an-d  from  that  time  good  roads  were  assured.  The 
work  of  road-construction  has  been  necessarily  slow  ;  but  steadily 
carried  on  has  fully  demonstrated  the  wisdom  of  such  methods,  and 
recompensed  for  all  labor  and  expenditure  of  funds. 


■M 


While  progressing  in  other  ways,  Charlotte  has  not  been  unmind- 
ful of  the  educational  needs  of  its  people.  Among  the  schools  of 
earlier  days  was  the  Charlotte  Female  Institute,  opened  in  1857  under 
charge  of  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Robert  Burwell.  This  school,  with  several 
changes  of  name  and  ownership,  is  still  continued  as  The  Presby- 
terian College  for  Young  Women ;  occupying  a  handsome  and  com- 
modious building,  it  offers  exceptional  advantages.  Another  leading 
school  of  ante-bellum  days  was  the  Charlotte  Military  Academy, 
which  opened  in  1859  under  the  direction  of  Major  D.  H.  Hill 
and  an  able  corps  of  teachers.  During  the  war  of  1861-65, 
the  school  building  was  used  by  the  Confederate  Government 
as  a  medical  dispensary.  After  the  war  ended  it  was  reopened 
as  a  school  by  Col.  J.  P.  Thomas,  and  finally  passed  into  the 
hands  of  the  city  for  use  as  a  public  school,  and  is  now  known 
as  the  South  Graded  School.  Gen.  D.  H.  Hill,  who  won  distinc- 
tion as  a  Confederate  officer,  was  a  man  of  decided  literary  talent. 


The 

Liddell 
Yard 


and  during  his  residence  in  Charlotte  edited  a  magazine  called  "The 
Land  We  Love,"  and  also  a  newspaper  entitled  "The  Southern 
Home."  Elizabeth  College,  a  large  Lutheran  institution  for  young 
women,  is  beautifully  situated  on  the  Eastern  heights  overlooking 
the  city,  and  enjoys  a  wide  patronage.  Two  large  graded  schools 
for  white  children,  and  one  for  negroes,  are  conducted  on  modern 
and  most  approved  plans  under  the  superintendency  of  Prof.  Alex- 
ander Graham,  who  has  ably  filled  this  position  for  a  number  of  years. 
Between  three  and  four  thousand  children  are  instructed  annually, 
and  the  curriculum  affords  a  liberal  education.  Other  institu- 
tions   are :    The    Charlotte    University    School     for    Boys,    King's 


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Business  College,  St.  Mary's  Seminary, 
which  is  a  Roman  Catholic  institution, 
special  schools  of  music  and  art,  kinder- 
gartens, and  various  private  schools. 
Just  west  of  Charlotte,  beyond  the  sub- 
urb Seversville,  is  located  Biddle  Uni- 
versity, a  college  for  negroes  under  the 
care  of  the  Northern  Presbyterian 
Church;  it  is  named  for  Airs.  Mary  D. 
Biddle,  of  Philadelphia,  who  contributed 
largely  to  its  erection.  The  Piedmont 
Industrial  School,  at  the  Chadwick  and 
Hoskins  cotton-mills,  near  the  city,  is 
meeting  with  much  sucess  in  the  educa- 
tion    and     industrial     training     of     mill 

people.  Twenty  miles  distant,  in  the  northern  part  of  the  county, 
is  Davidson  College  which  for  three-quarters  of  a  century  has  oc- 
cupied a  prominent  position  as  a  College  of  Liberal  Arts  and  Scien- 
ces. Many  of  its  alumni  are  among  the  country's  distinguished 
citizens  ;  and  though  not  a  school  of  theology,  it  has  furnished  400 
ministers  to  the  Southern  Presbyterian  Church. 

The  religious  life  of  Charlotte  is  well  known ;  it  is  a  city  of 
churches.  Presbyterian,  Methodist,  Baptist,  Episcopal,  Lutheran, 
Associate  Reformed  Presbyterian,  and  Roman  Catholic  congrega- 
tions occupy  handsome  church  buildings,  with  large  and  increas- 
ing membership.  In  point  of  numbers,  the  Second  Presbyterian 
Church  leads,  with  more  than  twelve  hundred  members.  In  1815  a 
large  lot  was  set  apart  by  the  town  for  religious  purposes,  and  a 
square  just  to  the  rear  of  this  property  was  made  a  public  burying 
ground.  The  citizens  of  the  town  united  in  erecting  a  church  build- 
ing, which  for  a 
number  of  years 
was  used  by  all 
di'e  n  o  ruinations. 
The  people  of 
this  section  be- 
i  n  g  principally 
Scotch-Irish,  and 
therefore  Presby- 
terians, outnum- 
bered by  far  any 
other  denomina- 
tion ;  and  in  1835 
t  h  e  y  obtained 
possession  of  this 
property  on  which 
they  erected  a 
larger  house  of 
w  or  s  h  i  p      The 


Cotton  Weighing 


beautiful  and  imposing  edifice,  known  as  the  First  Pres- 
byterian Church,  now  stands  upon  this  site,  its  grounds 
occupying"  a  block  in  the  heart  of  the  city.  This  mag- 
nificent property,  carpeted  with  rich  green  grass  and  shaded 
by  ancient  oaks,  is  justly  an  object  of  admiration  to  every  passer-by. 
Prominent  among  its  ministers  of  an  earlier  period  was  the  Rev. 
Arnold  W.  Miller,  a  man  whose  rigid  adherence  to  right,  wide 
learning,  and  fearless  utterances,  during  a  pastorate  of  twenty-nine 
years,  made  his  influence  deeply  felt  throughout  the  community. 
The  burying  ground,  known  as  "the  old  cemetery,"  has  for  many 
years  been  unused  ;  the  present  cemetery,  Elmwood,  occupies  a  natu- 
rally beautiful   location  to  the  northwest  of  the   city.     In  the  old 


VFfi 


'tt<m 


^S*-2ro 


When  (he  Market  Goes  Up 

(Forty-eight  bales  of  cotton  produced  on  one  farm,  and  which  the  advanc 


in  price  has  brought  to  market) 


cemetery  are  the  graves  of  Col.  Thomas  Polk,  General  George  Gra- 
ham, Gov.  Nathaniel  Alexander,  Hon.  William  Davidson,  and  many 
others  prominent  in  the  early  history  of  the  town  and  county. 

The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  occupies  an  impor- 
tant place  in  the  life  of  young  men.  Centrally  located,  with  a 
well-equipped  building,  and  numbering  750  members,  it  is  actively 
engaged  in  a  great  work.  The  Young  Women's  Christian  Associa- 
tion, though  a  more  recent  institution,  affords  to  young  women  many 
and  varied  advantages.  A  number  of  hospitals  alleviate  the  suf- 
fering of  humanity:  St.  Peter's,  the  Presbyterian,  the  Mercy 
General,  the  Good  Samaritan  (for  negroes),  and  others  for 
the  treatment  of  special  diseases.  Many  charitable  organizations 
provide  for  the  needy  and  homeless.  The  Thompson  Orphanage, 
under  the  care  of  the  Episcopal  Church  ;  the  Alexander  Home,  a 
Presbyterian  institution  ;  and  the  Day  Nursery,  which  is  supported 
bv  all  denominations,  are  actively  engaged  in  benevolent  work  for 


children,  while  the  Charlotte  Crittenton  Home  is  doing-  noble  work. 
A  handsome  Carnegie  Library  finds  abundant  patronage  from  a 
book-loving  community;  and  Charlotte  has  also  (which  is  rarely 
found),  a  free  library  for  negroes.  Literary,  musical,  and  patriotic 
organizations  flourish.  Three  daily  papers,  the  Charlotte  Observer, 
the  Charlotte  Chronicle  and  The  Charlotte  News,  besides  other  pub- 
lications, semi- weekly,  weekly,  and  monthly,  have  large  circulation. 
Fraternal  and  Benevolent  Associations  represent  almost  every  order 
known  in  the  United  States.  Among  club-  organized  for  br- 
and social  purposes  the  leading  ones  are  the  Southern  Manufacturers' 
and  the  Colonial,  both  of  which  occupy  elegant  apartments  and  num- 
ber many  member-.  Handsome  public  buildings  add  greatly  to  tin- 
attractiveness  of  Charlotte.  Notable  among  these  are,  the  United 
States  Assay  Office,  bearing  upon  it-  front  a  large  gilded  American 
eagle  with  outspread  wings;  the  government  building  of  red  pressed 
brick  with  granite  trimmings,  constructed  at  a  cost  of  $85,000.00,  and 
containing  the  Post-Office,  Federal  Court  room-,  and  Weather  Bu- 
reau :  the  City  Hall,  built  of  North  Carolina  brown  -tone,  a  bandsnme 
and  commodioii-  structure;  and  the  county  court  bouse  of  terra-cotta 
and  brick,  of  picturesque  architecture  and  beautifully  situated.  The 
Academy  of  Music,  a  theater  of  artistic  plan,  and  with  a  large 
seating  capacity,  affords  much  diversion  throughout  the  theatrical 
season.  Among  many  handsome  office  buildings,  those  owned  by 
the  Piedmont  Fire  Insurance  Company,  the  Southern  State-  Trust 
Company  and  the  Charlotte  Consolidated  Construction  Company, 
are  of  large  proportions,  and  elegant  in  design  and  ornamentation. 

The  spirit  of  militarism  has  always  been  a  prominent  feature  of 
Charlotte  life.  Three  organizations  of  this  nature  existing  in  the 
city  are  the  Hornet's  Nest  Riflemen.  First  Field  Artillery,  and  the 
Charlotte  Drum  Corps.  During  the  Spanish-American  war  two 
companies  of  white  soldiers  and  one  of  negroes  en- 
listed from  Charlotte 

A  liberty-loving  and  history-reverencing  people, 
the  people  of  Charlotte  ami  the  community  around 
unite  in  commemorating  the  anniversaries  of  great 
events.  On  May  20,  1875,  tne  Centennial  Celebra- 
tion of  the  Mecklenburg  Declaration  of  Independence 


Highland  ParK  Mfg.  Co.     Louise  Cotton  Mill.    No.  1 


was  held  and  was  a  noteworthy  occasion.  Man}  prominent  speakers 
from  North  Carolina,  and  also  from  other  states,  had  a  place  on  the 
program;  the  attendance  was  record-breaking-  and  patriotism  was 
kindled  anew.  On  May  20,  1898,  the  handsome  monument  which 
stands  in  front  of  the  county  court-house,  and  erected  to  the  memory 
of  the  signers  of  the  Mecklenburg  Declaration,  was  unveiled  by 
eight  of  their  descendants,  in  the  presence  of  a  great  crowd  which 
had  gathered  from  many  sections  of  the  country  to  do  honor  to  the 
day.  Ex- Vice-President  Adlai  Ewing  Stevenson,  himself  of  Meck- 
lenburg- ancestry,  was  orator  on  this  occasion.  The  20th  of  May 
was  celebrated  most  elaborately  in  1906,  four  days  being  given  over 
to  a  gala  season.  The  city  was  resplendent  in  decorations  of 
flags  and  tri-colored  bunting,  many  large  government  flags 
adding  no  little  to  the  effect  and  attractiveness.  By  night  the  beauty 
of  scene  was  enhanced  by  hundreds  of  tiny  electric  lights.  The 
Marine  band  of  Washington,  D.  C,  one  company  of  United  States 
cavalry,  two  of  infantry,  and  one  of  marines,  were  sent  by  President 
Roosevelt  to  take  part  in  the  celebration,  and  evidenced  the  official 
recognition  of  the  Mecklenburg  Declaration  by  the  United.  States 
Government.  This,  however  was  not  the  first  recognition  of  the 
Mecklenburg  Declaration  by  President  Roosevelt;  in  a  speech  de- 
livered in  Vance  Park  on  the  evening  of  October  19,  1905,  referring 
to  North  Carolina's  achievements  in  the  past,  he  said:  "I  congratu- 
late you  even  more  upon  the  great  historic  memories  of  your  state. 
It  is  not  so  very  far  from' here  that  the  Mecklenburg  Declaration  of 
Independence  was  made— the  declaration  that  pointed  out  the  path 
on  which  the  thirteen  United  Colonies  trod  a  few  months  later." 
In  May,  1902,  there  was  unveiled,  with  appropriate  exercises, 
a  monument  erected  on  the  grounds  of  the  government  build- 
ing, in  memory  of  Lieutenant  William  E.  Shipp,  at  one  time  a 
citizen  of  Charlotte,  who  fell  in  battle  at  San  Juan  during  the 
Spanish-American  war.  A  monument  to  the  Confederate  dead  in  Elm- 
wood  Cemetery  stands  in  the  midst  of  a  square  where  lie 
buried  many  Confederate  soldiers.  On  every  10th  or  May, 
which  is  observed  as  Memorial  Day,  appropriate  exercises 
are  held,  and  a  great  concourse  of  people,  including  Meck- 
lenburg  Camp    of    Confederate   Veterans,    the    Stonewall 


Highland  Park  Mfg.  Co.    Louise  Cotton  Mill.    No.  2 


[ackson  (  hapter  of  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy,  Sons  of  Vete- 
rans, and  Julia  Jackson  Chapter  of  Children  of  the  Confederacy, 
gather  to  pay  tribute  to  the  dead,  and  to  place  offerings  of  flowers 
upon  their  graves 

Iron  tablets  mark  various  historic  places  in  the  cit)  :  namely,  the 
center  of  Independence  Square,  where  stood  the  old  court-house  in 
which  was  signed  the  Mecklenburg  Declaration  of  Independence;  the 
place  where  st 1  the  house  in  which  Cornwallis  had  his  headquar- 
ters; the  site  of  the  inn  at  which  General  Washington  was  enter- 
tained; and  the  spot  wlurr  President  Davis  was  standing  when 
handed  a  telegram  which  announced  the  assassination  of  Lincoln, 
The  Mecklenburg  (hapter.  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution, 
has  placed  a  monument  at  the  Mclntyre  farm,  in  commemoration  of 
the  bravery  of  Mecklenburg  men  in  the  skirmish  which  took  place 
there  during  the  Revolution.  This  (hapter  has  erected  a  monument 
marking  the  site  of  the  house,  eleven  miles  south  of  Charlotte,  in 
which  Presidenl  James  K.  Polk  was  horn:  and  has  also  marked  tin 
birth-place  of  President  Andrew  Jackson — it  was  originall)  in  the 
southeastern  part  of  Mecklenburg,  though  now  included  in  Union 
Countw 

A  period  of  general  interest  is  the  Mecklenburg  County  Fair,  held 
annually,  in  (  )ctober,  at  the  grounds  of  the  Mecklenhunj  Fair  Asso- 
ciation south  of  the  city. 

The  city  is  governed  by  a  mayor  and  a  hoard  of  aldermen  ;  it  has 
also  a  hoard  of  school  commissioners,  police,  fire,  and  health  commis- 
sioners, a  tree  and  park  commission,  a  recorder  who  presides  over 
the  municipal  court,  and  other  hoards  and  committees  looking  to  the 
best  interests  of  .he  community.  The  Fire  Department  and  water 
works  are  owned  hv  the  cit  v. 


Cotlon  PicKers  Returning  Home 


The  leading-  hotels  are  the  Central,  Buford,  and  Selwyn;  the  last 
named,  which  is  an  exceedingly  handsome  structure  and  up-to-date 
in  every  respect,  derived  its  name  from  Lord  George  A.  Selwyn,  a 
Lord  Proprietor,  in  Colonial  times,  of  this  part  of  North  Carolina. 
The  Southern  and  Seaboard  Air  Line  railway  systems  afford 
good  railroad  facilities,  and  are  important  factors  in  the  develop- 
ment of  Charlotte. 


Scenes  at 
Springdale  Dairy  Farm 


From  Independence  Square,  electric  lines  are  reaching  out  in  every 
direction  along  wide  avenues  lined  on  either  side  with  beautiful  shade 
trees,  and  over  well-kept  streets.  Suburban  sections,  through  the 
instrumentality  of  these  electric  lines  which  give  greater  accessibility, 
are  rapidly  building  up,  and  the  city  is  continually  extending.  Dil- 
worth,  Elizabeth  Heights,  Piedmont  Park,  and  Myers  Park,  are 
especially  attractive  as  residence  localities.  Belmont,  Highland 
Park,  Atherton,  and  Chadwick.  are  among  the  most  progressive  sub- 
urban mill  settlements. 

Dilworth  and  Latta  Park  are  named  in  honor  of  the  President  of 
the  Charlotte  Consolidated  Construction  Company,  Mr.  Edward  Dil- 
worth Latta,  a  public-spirited  citizen,  whose  broad  ideas  and  pro- 
gressiveness  have  clone  much  for  the  advancement  of  Charlotte. 

Latta  Park,  which  is  quite  extensive  in  size  and  affords  a  variety 
of    entertainment,    is    an    exceedingly   attractive    pleasure-ground: 


Vance  Park,  centrally  located  and  easy  of  access  is  especially  adapted 
for  open-air  gatherings ;  and  Independence  Park,  to  the  east  of  the 
city,  has  much  natural  beauty  and  charm  of  landscape. 

The  Charlotte  Consolidated  Construction  Company,  by  extending 
its  electric  lines  westward  to  Chadwick,  and  thence  to  the  Catawba 
river,  has  opened  up  a  beautiful  portion  of  country.  "Lakeview," 
with  its  picturesque  woodlands,  winding  driveways  and  large  lake, 
bids  fair  to  out-rival  all  other  sections  in  beauty  of  scenery. 

The  population  of  Charlotte  is  about  40,000.  The  increasing 
numbers  of  cotton  mills  and  factories  of  various  kinds  are  causing 
settlements  to  spring  up  as  if  by  magic  all  around  the  city's  borders, 
while  many  residents  are  armaally  drawn  thither  by  the  varied, 
favorable  business  interests  that  are  presented,  as  well  as  on  account 
of  the  many  advantages  of  climate  and  location. 

Life  in  Charlotte  blends  most  happily  the  peaceful  spirit  of  the 
old  South  with  the  progressive  ideas  of  a  later  period.  Attractive 
homes  embowered  in  fragrant  flowers,  with  wide-spreading  lawns 
shaded  by  oaks  and  magnolias,  give  a  sense  of  space  and  restfulness  ; 
while  here  and  there  handsome  apartment  houses  bespeak  the  intro- 
duction of  city  life  and  ways.  Out-door  pastimes  with  all  their 
attendant  delights  and  benefits  may  be  fully  enjoyed — driving,  rid- 
ing, automobiling,  golfing,  and  other  pleasures  of  like  kind  may 
be  indulged  in  all  the  year  with  but  little  interruption  from  severe 


H 


T 


Catawba  River  at  Mountain  Island 
(Twelve  miles  from  Charlotte) 


winter  weather.  The  salubrity  of  climate  has  brought  many  health- 
seekers  who  have  found  here  renewed  strength  and  protection  from 
a  more  rigorous  climate. 

Situated  midway  between  New  York  and  \ew  <  >rleans,  with  line 
railroad  facilities,  and  favored  with  many  natural  advantages,  Char- 
lotte occupies  an  important  position  in  the  manufacturing  and  com- 
mercial world.  The  most  substantial  and  healthful  growth  must 
necessarily  be  slow;  and  in  pursuing  this  plan  in  its  upbuilding,  a 
foundation  strong  and  lasting  has  been  established,  upon  which  to- 
day it  builds  with  a  steadily  increasing  growth. 

For  Charlotte  great  things  may  be  predicted.  Historic  memories 
preside  over  a  worthy  past  :  to-day  it  is  ruled  by  the  consciousness  of 
assured  power  and  prosperity:  while  to-morrow  bears  in  its  hand 
the  promise  of  greater  opportunities  and  unlimited  possibilities. 


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